Chapter Eleven: Panic

At this moment, the little witch Lisa was still fully focused on controlling the zombie warrior. When Hans suddenly changed direction and charged straight toward her, Lisa was caught off guard and panic flashed across her face. She hurriedly commanded the zombie warrior to follow Hans, while she herself let out a startled cry and instinctively dodged to the side.

Hans kept his body low and his head down, so Lisa couldn't see his expression. Yet his frail figure, while running, exuded a sharp, sword-like momentum, completely at odds with his usual demeanor, which was the real source of Lisa's panic.

Because the zombie warrior lagged behind, its speed couldn't match Hans's, and for a moment it seemed unable to help Lisa. She lost her earlier composure and began to run about in terror.

Thus, the trial arena witnessed a strange scene: the zombie warrior wielding a wooden staff, huffing and puffing as it chased Hans; Hans, silent, head down, pursuing the little witch Lisa; Lisa, fleeing around the arena in panic, forgetting altogether that she could join forces with the zombie warrior to deal with Hans.

"Bryan, are you crazy? How dare you chase me?" Lisa shouted breathlessly as she ran, her voice tinged with alarm.

Hans, the pursuer, was in a daze, with only the phrase "A sorcerer follows his heart's desires" echoing endlessly in his mind.

He knew full well that now was absolutely not the time for a major conflict with Lisa; otherwise, he would not only face punishment from Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts, but might also suffer vengeance from Lisa's family. As a mere servant, either outcome would spell disaster for him.

Yet reason and intention diverged. Even knowing he shouldn't, Hans was compelled as if possessed, doggedly pursuing Lisa, truly embodying the words "A sorcerer follows his heart's desires."

Suddenly, Lisa let out a soft cry as she slipped during her frantic run and tumbled to the ground. Hans, already close behind, seized the opportunity and with a burst of speed appeared right beside her.

"Bryan, what are you doing? If you dare bully me, I swear I'll kill you!" Lisa hadn't even gotten up before she saw Hans standing next to her, raising his left foot to kick her. In panic, she blurted out her threat.

Hans's expression was strange, his brows tightly knit, seemingly torn with hesitation. Reason urged him not to kick Lisa, but as soon as she uttered "I swear I'll kill you," a flash of ferocity crossed his face and his left foot shot out, aiming for her plump, rounded backside.

With a thud, his kick hit its mark. Hans felt his left foot sink into something soft and springy, like a smooth little ball.

"Ah..."

Lisa, struck squarely, let out a scream worthy of a slaughtered pig, cursing Hans nonstop.

At the same time, the magic core wrapped in Claude's pale blue battle energy in Hans's chest suddenly spun like a vortex. He could distinctly feel the pale blue battle energy dissolving, transforming into a strange new force that was absorbed by the whirling magic core.

In just an instant, the pale blue battle energy that had lingered in his body for a day vanished, and Hans's magic core noticeably grew stronger. It seemed that the battle energy had been digested by the magic core.

At that moment, the magic core in his chest began to circulate aimlessly within him, and he felt his depleted stamina instantly restored, his spirits soaring as if he'd taken some miraculous elixir.

Now Hans finally understood the true meaning of "A sorcerer follows his heart's desires"—whenever he acted according to his innermost will, the magic core would circulate faster, absorbing and transforming battle energy into nourishment to strengthen itself.

"A sorcerer follows his heart's desires, a sorcerer harms others for his own gain—even cultivation is like this!" Hans mused, his face oddly thoughtful.

"Ohhh... it hurts! Damn Bryan, I'll kill you for hurting me!" At Hans's feet, the little witch Lisa clutched her plump, round backside, still threatening him loudly, tears glimmering in her eyes. Clearly, his kick had not been gentle.

Hans's meditation was broken by her cries. Seeing Lisa's pitiful state, he realized with alarm that she would never let this go. Her notorious vindictiveness was well known, and this time, after being kicked, she would surely retaliate.

Especially since Lisa was actually crying and her backside seemed badly bruised. If the academy found out, Hans would be finished.

Just then, the zombie warrior finally arrived, brandishing its wooden staff. Under Lisa's control, it swung at Hans's head.

Hans glanced back and, startled, noticed the staff seemed to move slowly. He nimbly sidestepped the attack with ease.

A surprised "Hmm?" escaped him as he dodged the next blow just as easily. He realized it wasn't the zombie warrior slowing down, but his own speed and perception had improved.

"Heh, still missed!" Hans laughed, relaxing as he continued to dodge the zombie warrior's attacks, feeling his body grow ever more agile, even finding time to taunt.

Lisa, intent on vengeance through the zombie warrior, was frustrated when Hans darted about like a nimble monkey, eluding every attack and mocking her with shameless cries.

"Damn Bryan, I won't let you get away with this!" Lisa, seeing the zombie warrior helpless against Hans and her own aching backside sapping her strength, snapped sharply and sent the zombie warrior back to its otherworldly realm.

She tried to get up, but the pain from Hans's kick made her legs buckle and she collapsed with a groan.

With the zombie warrior gone, Hans felt the pressure lift. Grinning foolishly, he approached Lisa and naively extended his thin left hand, offering, "Let me take you to the infirmary."

"I don't need your help, you lunatic!" Lisa snapped, tears still on her face and pain in her backside, glaring fiercely at Hans.

Hearing this, Hans froze for a moment. Then a mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as he reached out and boldly touched Lisa's smooth, rounded backside. "Then—then let me rub it for you!" he said, simple-mindedly.

Lisa, despite her foul temper, was undeniably a beautiful girl. Though her chest had yet to fully blossom, her hips were remarkably full and firm. Hans's hand tingled as he felt the softness and roundness.

"Bryan, go to hell! Stay away from me!" Lisa shrieked, tears still streaking her face as Hans kneaded her backside. She erupted in fury, flailing wildly and battering Hans with her hands and feet.

One of Lisa's kicks struck Hans's ankle, causing him to lose balance and topple forward, landing face-to-face atop Lisa, his left hand still on her hips.

A delicate fragrance wafted into Hans's nose, emanating from Lisa, filling him with a strange sensation. Lisa's body beneath him was soft, and his palm rested on her rounded hips.

For a moment, Lisa was stunned, her eyes locked with Hans's.

But her surprise lasted only a heartbeat. Suddenly, she raised her hands and, with an icy expression, began chanting: "Endless darkness, transform into bone-shattering arrows, let my will destroy—"

Hans, startled, recognized the incantation for the undead bone arrow spell. At such close range, he couldn't dodge; if the bone arrow hit, it could pierce any part of him—a perilous situation. Lisa's cold, grim look made it clear she wasn't joking; she truly intended to kill him.

His mind raced. Before Lisa could finish her spell, Hans lunged forward, grabbing her raised arms and pulling her tightly into his embrace. Then, in a panic, he pressed his face close and kissed her rosy lips.

"Destroy before me—mmph..." Lisa's incantation was cut short, never completed.

Their lips met, sending a slick, tender sensation coursing through Hans, leaving him dazed and floating as if in the clouds, unsure what had happened.

Hans had never kissed a girl before, not even when he was Bryan. This feeling had only existed in his imagination. Now, experiencing it firsthand, he was utterly dumbfounded, and thought to himself that it was even more wonderful than he'd imagined.

Lisa's face turned crimson, her breathing quickened, her eyes glazed with confusion. She, too, seemed lost, unaware of Hans's violation.

After a while, Lisa suddenly pushed Hans away, her cheeks flushed as she pointed at him and exclaimed, "Stupid Bryan, why do you always keep weird things in your pants? Last time it was rocks, now it's a stick!"

Hans: "..."